OTAY MESA  Montgomery High coach Manny Hermosillo believes there are three ways to play baseball — the right way, the wrong way and the Aztec way.

Hermosillo is in his 27th season in charge of the Montgomery program, guiding the Aztecs to 17 league titles and a San Diego Section championship. Top-ranked Montgomery, which began the week 10-3, is looking to improve on section Division III runner-up finishes the past two seasons.

To Hermosillo, it’s about reloading instead of rebuilding. He said doing so requires synergy throughout the program.

“The varsity and JV spend a lot of time working out together with intrasquad games and so forth,” said Hermosillo, a social science teacher who has worked at Montgomery for 35 years. “This way, the players grow up together as they progress and are like brothers. We’re a family.”

“We always focus on having a good core,” Hermosillo said. “Our seniors take the leadership role when it’s their turn to shine and leave a legacy of a winning tradition.”

Arellano, a catcher hitting .361 this season, considers himself fortunate to be in the program.

“I’ve been blessed to have been part of Montgomery baseball for four years now,” Arellano said. “I wear this jersey with a lot of pride.”

Arellano acknowledged the importance of the team concept and the crucial role it plays in fielding a championship club.

“Everybody has to play together. No one gets left behind,” Arellano said. “One through nine in the lineup, we trust everyone. We know we can score runs. We just always stick together.”

Miranda, who patrols right field, knew what he and his teammates were getting into when they arrived as freshmen.

“When we were younger, we knew it was going to be tough,” said Miranda, who is hitting .333 with a .528 slugging average this spring after being named second-team All-South Bay League last year. “We have higher standards here, which makes us better as a team.”

Lopez, a first-team all-league selection, heads the starting rotation as well as serving as the Aztecs cleanup hitter.

“Most teams have individuals, but we work as a team on everything,” Lopez said. “We’re all just dedicated to baseball.”

Carreon, also a first-team all-league pick, is a natural third baseman who helped the club by making the switch to second this year. He’s hitting .391 with a team-leading 15 RBI.

“The coaches put me at second to help prepare me for the next level,” Carreon said. “Besides, we have a pretty good third baseman in Agui when he’s not pitching.”

For Carreon, the Aztec way means paying attention to detail.

“It’s about discipline and doing the little things right,” Carreon said. “We take everything very seriously.”

Right down to how each player wears his uniform — exactly the same, including high socks — and don’t even think about wearing your hat backward.